Emotional recall: McGrath, Sandahl win Red’s 5-miler

Monday

Apr 22, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Al Pikeapike@fosters.com

DOVER — Scott McGrath was focused on the immediate task until it came time for the moment of silence to remember the victims followed by the national anthem. Both preceded the Red’s Shoe Barn 5-mile Road Race For A Better Community.

The combination caused him to flash back to last Monday and the tragic events that took place at the Boston Marathon where two bombs exploded 12 seconds apart killing three people and injuring more than 180.

McGrath coaches a track club in Massachusetts and many of his runners were in the vicinity of the finish line when the explosions occurred.

“I didn’t think my thoughts would return to Monday right before a competition,” he said. “That’s all that was on my mind when I was lining up. It took the edge off. I wasn’t nervous anymore. I was kind of somber. The events that transpired and the chaos of it all helped drive every step.”

The University of New Hampshire graduate took those steps faster than anyone else Sunday morning to win the 32nd annual event in his first attempt.

The 26-year-old McGrath finished in 26 minutes, 15 seconds to runner-up Nathan Huppe’s time of 26:56.

They were the only two runners to break 27 minutes.

McGrath, who is originally from New Hampshire but now lives in Andover, Mass., took the lead a half mile into the race and pulled away from there.

“I made it a point to get out here this weekend and return to the normal routine and continue with the healing process,” he said. “Part of that for me is racing.”

Rochester’s Denise Sandahl won the women’s race for the second year in a row with a time of 29:50. She finished 20th overall and was the only woman to break 30 minutes.

Amy Bernard of Hampstead was second in 30:24.

Sandahl is coming off a banner 2012 season in which she won more road races than any female in the state and finished second in the Great Bay Half Marathon two weeks ago in her first race of the season.

“I actually didn’t expect to win,” Sandahl said. “I knew that this was going to be more competitive than last year because I think it’s part of the Grand Prix series. I actually didn’t lead the first mile which was nice to be able to pace off somebody else. I passed her at mile one and just ran scared the rest of the way.”

McGrath took control sooner than that.

“It went well,” he said. “I took the lead about a half mile into the race. We had a tail wind for basically the first two and a half miles. It was kind of like running in a vacuum where you don’t feel the wind pushing you but there’s less wind resistance. It was easy to get out front and fall into a rhythm.”

It was Huppe’s second runner-up finish this season. He also has two firsts to go with the two seconds.

“I took it out quick at the start,” he said. “I was leading after the first half mile and then Scott went by me after that and took off. I was within a telephone pole length from him after the first three miles and then he got away from me.”

“I never really expect to win,” McGrath said. “I came in thinking I wanted to be competitive and try to go for the win. It was a matter of feeling out the race — who was there and who was ready to go.”

Unlike McGrath, who ran alone for most of his race, Sandahl could hear footsteps, though it turned out to be men.

“I thought it was (Bernard) right behind me,” Sandahl said. “I could hear somebody breathing and running. I really thought it was her, but it wasn’t. It was somebody else, but that really pushed me.”